مَعْنَى الزَّكَاةِ وَمَنْزِلَتُهَا

Welcome to this course This adult course goes deeper into what the courses "Discovering Islam: the foundations", "The pillars of Islam" and "Ramadan and fasting" presented briefly. It answers concrete questions: who must pay zakaat, on which assets, how to calculate it in Canada (savings, shares, RRSP, TFSA, business), to whom to give it, and then how to earn and spend one's money in a lawful way. Where scholars differ, the course presents the main positions without deciding: for your personal situation, the reference remains the centre's imam and the recognised fatwa bodies. The site also offers a zakaat calculator ("Zakat" page), which we will use in the examples.

The word "zakaat" In Arabic, الزَّكَاةُ comes from a root that brings together two ideas: growth (zakaa az-zar': the plant has grown) and purification (tazkiyat an-nafs: the purification of the soul). The Qur'an brings both meanings together in verse 9:103: "Take from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and make them grow." In Islamic law, zakaat is a fixed share of certain assets, due every year when conditions are met, and paid to specified recipients. It therefore has three limits fixed by Revelation: on what (the assets), how much (the rates), to whom (the eight categories of verse 9:60).

Its place in the religion • It is the third pillar of Islam: "Islam is built on five…" (Bukhari 8, Muslim 16). • The Qur'an mentions it together with prayer more than twenty-five times, for example "Establish prayer and give zakaat" (2:43) [À VÉRIFIER : nombre exact d'occurrences]. • It was made obligatory in Madinah; the exact year is discussed (often the second year of the Hijra) [À VÉRIFIER : date]. • When the Prophet ﷺ sent Mu'aadh to Yemen, he told him to teach that Allah "has prescribed for them a charity on their wealth, taken from their rich and returned to their poor" (Bukhari 1395, Muslim 19). Zakaat circulates within the community.

The gravity of refusing it • The Qur'an threatens those who hoard gold and silver without giving its due (9:34-35, studied in lesson 3). • The Prophet ﷺ described the punishment of whoever does not pay the zakaat of his wealth: it will appear to him as a serpent that seizes him on the Day of Resurrection (Bukhari 1403); and for gold and silver, plates heated in the fire (Muslim 987). • After the death of the Prophet ﷺ, Abu Bakr fought those who refused to pay it, saying: "By Allah, I will fight whoever separates prayer from zakaat" (Bukhari 1400, Muslim 20) [À VÉRIFIER : numéro]. This was a decision of the public authority of the time, not a right given to individuals. • Scholars agree: whoever denies the obligation of zakaat while knowing it leaves Islam; whoever acknowledges it but does not pay out of avarice commits a very great sin, and the debt remains due, even for past years.

Zakaat, ṣadaqa, tax: three different things • Zakaat is obligatory, with precise rules; ṣadaqa is voluntary, with no limit or rate (lesson 11). • Zakaat is not a civil tax: it is an act of worship, which requires an intention (niyya). Taxes paid in Canada do not replace zakaat, and zakaat does not exempt one from the taxes owed. • It is due on wealth that lies idle and could grow (savings, merchandise, herds, harvests), not on what is used for living (home, car, clothes, tools).

The text: Surah Al-Baqara (2), verse 43 وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ ﴿٤٣﴾

The text: Surah At-Tawba (9), verses 103 to 104 خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِمْ بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ إِنَّ صَلَاتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَهُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿١٠٣﴾ أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَأْخُذُ الصَّدَقَاتِ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿١٠٤﴾

Meaning: 2:43: "Establish prayer, give zakaat and bow with those who bow." 9:103-104: "Take from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and make them grow, and pray for them: your prayer is a comfort for them. Allah hears and knows all. Do they not know that it is Allah who accepts the repentance of His servants and receives the charities, and that Allah is the One who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful?" The verb "tuzakkiihim" (you make them grow) shares the same root as the word zakaat.

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Simple, version 1.0.2), © 2008-2010 Tanzil.net, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence, reproduced without any change (http://tanzil.net). Each verse is on its own line, followed by its number; the basmala, which the Tanzil file places at the start of the first verse, is written on its own line.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Zakaat rests on one idea: your wealth does not belong to you in an absolute way. Allah has made you its trustees (57:7), and He has placed in it a right for others. Paying zakaat is therefore not giving a gift to the poor: it is returning to them what is theirs. The two meanings of the word answer each other. Zakaat purifies the heart of avarice (ash-shuḥḥ) and purifies the money itself; and it makes things grow: the reward, the baraka in what remains, and the cohesion of the community. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Charity does not decrease wealth in any way" (Muslim 2588). The constant link with prayer shows the balance of Islam: prayer turns the believer towards Allah, zakaat turns him towards people. One does not replace the other, as Abu Bakr reminded. Finally, zakaat is framed: it has thresholds, rates and recipients. This framework protects both the rich (not everything is asked of him) and the poor (he has a right, not a favour).

Lessons to draw from it • See money as a trust: this is the first step to earning it well and spending it well. • Calculate one's zakaat every year, seriously, as one prepares for prayer. • Make up forgotten years: unpaid zakaat remains a debt towards Allah and the poor. • Do not confuse zakaat, ṣadaqa and tax: each has its rules. • For a delicate personal case, ask the imam rather than choosing the lightest opinion.

Key points to remember • الزَّكَاةُ: purification and growth (9:103). • Third pillar (Bukhari 8, Muslim 16), mentioned with prayer (2:43). • "Taken from their rich and returned to their poor" (Bukhari 1395, Muslim 19). • Refusing zakaat: a very great sin (Bukhari 1403, Muslim 987); denying its obligation: leaving Islam. • Zakaat ≠ ṣadaqa ≠ tax.

The main message Zakaat is the right of the poor in your wealth: by returning it every year, you purify your heart and your money, and Allah places growth in it.